04-01-09 BY JACK BULLOCK Some years are tougher than others to pick All-South Honorees. This season was easy in one sense - difficult in another. The top players in the South stood out in the postseason - which to me has always been the watershed mark. How well do you do when the lights are the brightest? What do you do when the chips are on the table? The POY for Class 2A got the job done in February and his team played in March at the state finals in Peoria. So did the 1A pick. Byron Bailey of Massac County is the ABV "Player of the Year" and there can be little doubt of this selection. This 6-foot-4 senior swing man played in dominating fashion in leading his Patriots to the promised land of high school hoops. The state championship game. Although Massac County ran into a buzz-saw from Seton Academy in the title tilt - Bailey was the spark all season long for Massac and he was tough to defend at Carver Arena. His numbers were very grand for a team that scored at will for the 2008-09 season. Bailey led the high-scoring Pats with 18-points a game while shooting 50 percent from the floor. Most of his points came on drives to the basket and offensive rebounds. In those two categories - opponents had no answer for the athletic Bailey. On a team that averaged 31 rebounds a game - Bailey hauled in over eight a night. Massac County set school records for wins and ended up at 33-2 with loses to Carbondale and Seton Academy. Bailey was the main man all season long. "I think he is the best player in the state," said Massac County head coach Joe Hosman - the ABV Class 2A "Coach Of The Year" following the championship game. "He meant so much to this team this season and we wouldn't have been here without him." Coach Hosman earned his award by keeping a talented team focused on the big prize this winter. Hosman had been sort of "snake-bit" in the postseason in the past but his kids got him to the state finals and a second place finish is his and his school's best in boy's basketball. Speaking of a school record and best finish - the Woodlawn Cardinals made it all the way to a state championship game for head coach Shane Witzel. Witzel had faith in his team - top to bottom - as he help mold this team into a near championship squad. Playing nine players and pulling all the right strings Coach Witzel saw his Cards finished the season 30-2 and won three regular season tournament titles - the only school in the ABV area to do so. This coach deserves and receives the ABV "Coach Of The Year" award. A sign of a good team has always been a team that doesn't panic when the going gets tough. A good coach has a calming effect on his team. Woodlawn was a very cool customer when it came to big games. This team trailed other teams at the half several times this season but didn't let that bother them. This coach instilled a confidence that was evident for the entire season. Coach Witzel deserves this recognition. The POY for Class 1A was the toughest decision to make and it came down to several players whose numbers deserved a magnified look. However there was a reason behind waiting until the season was over to make my decision. Which player led his team the best? Which player did the most to help his team advance? In the ABV opinion – Bronson Verhines did that job better than anyone. His numbers weren't as gaudy as others (13.6 points, 7.8 rebounds) but the numbers that meant the most are in the column of won/loss. Woodlawn was 30-2. When you look at the Cardinals schedule and look at who they beat – they played arguably the toughest Class 1A schedule in the ABV area. Verhines led Woodlawn in scoring 14 times and rebounding 22 times this season. He also made 76 percent of his free throws for the year. He connected on 50.2 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from behind the 3-point line. For a team that averaged 62 points a season while surrendering just 42 – Verhines was big on the defensive end as well. Had he played for some other team that didn't have the weapons that Woodlawn put on the floor – he would have doubled his offensive numbers easily. In this category – Verhines was the best player on the best team that made the longest postseason journey. Therefore – this 6-foot-4 senior gets the nod. As was the case with Byron Bailey – there were players in Southern Illinois that scored more points and grabbed more rebounds. That shot better and perhaps were flashier. But this award isn't about flash – it is about substance. It isn't about who is the best player – it is about who played the best when it counted the most. Night in and night out – Verhines showed up. Woodlawn doesn't make it to state without Verhines. Massac County doesn't make it to state without Bailey. Those two get the ABV hardware. For the complete team click on the link below. All South 2009 Team